Crossing the Line
by TallieTexas09
Summary: Nick and Miley can't deny their feelings for each other anymore. The only problem is that they're both in realtionships ...with other people.  It's a fine line between right and wrong, and they just might cross it.
1. The Inappropriate Rendezvous

**Just a pointless one-shot that I've had for a while. Except not really because I already have the next chapter written so if yall review & like it, I'll keep posting. **

**Either way, here you go:**

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><p><em>What the fuck am I even doing here? <em>Nick thought as he stood awkwardly in the corner of Ashley Tisdale's 26th birthday party. Looking around the room he saw several familiar faces. The Sprouse twins, Zac, Vanessa, Samantha Droke, even Selena was here. To his left he could hear the husky yet squeaky voice he had become skilled at picking out anywhere. Turning his head he laid eyes on her for the first time that night. She was wearing a tight, short strapless white and floral mini dress, her auburn hair cascading down her back and shoulders.

_Oh right. That's why I'm here._

He observed her from afar for a few moments, watching her interact with Ashley's boyfriend Scott and another 20-something year old guy he didn't recognize. He knew Scott saw her as a little sister, but it was impossible not to notice the spark in the other man's eyes as he watched Miley animatedly tell a story in what Nick was sure was far more dramatic a fashion than necessary. He loved seeing her like this. When she was happy and carefree, putting on a show. He saw Miley excuse herself from the conversation a few moments later and make her way to a waiter who was passing out drinks. If Nick was correct this would be her third drink of the night.

He came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her temple from behind. "Hey there" he said softly.

She turned around and wrapped her arms around his neck, quickly recognizing the comfortingly familiar scent of her ex-boyfriend. "Nick!" she squealed. She was careful not to spill her martini down his back as Nick grabbed her hips and picked her lightly off the floor, holding her in his arms as they hugged.

"What are you doing here? I thought you had rehearsals like everyday this week!" she said.

"Mi it's like 11:45…"

"Oh. Right. Well whatever I don't care I'm just so excited you're here! Nick, I missed you so much."

Due to their busy schedules, Miley just finishing up her Gypsy Heart tour, and both of them being in relationships, it was hard to find time to keep their complicated and emotionally draining friendship going.

"I've missed you more than you know…" he said looking into her big blue eyes a little too deeply for a guy who had a girlfriend.

"Well then I guess you'll be willing to dance with me then," she said, dragging him by the wrist out onto the dance floor.

Miley started out facing him, moving her hips and arms in time to the music, laughing at how uncomfortable Nick looked moving back and forth awkwardly.

"You dated me for two years and you still can't dance?" she said grinning at him. "Here, put your hands on my hips," she said placing his warm and calloused hands on either side of her body. "Now move like I move," she directed. After a few moments of awkward and seizure-like body movements, Miley stepped closer to Nick and put her hands back on his. "Relax. No ones watching you but me." As the song continued Miley could feel the tension in Nick's arms and shoulders slowly vanishing and she was impressed with the way he was actually feeling the rhythm of the song and moving so well to it.

She closed her eyes for a moment indulging in the feeling of being in his arms like this for the first time in so long. It felt so good, so right for them to be together this way. So when she felt Nick's arms pull her in tighter, she didn't hesitate to move that much closer to his warm, toned body. When she opened her eyes again she was faced with the collar of Nick's formal button up. _Of course he would wear an oxford to a club… _she thought, smirking to herself.

She was enjoying this moment so much, loving the feel of his arms holding her, giving her a purpose, a place to be in the world.

When she realized she could feel Nick's thigh in between her own and that she had sub-consciously but so obviously bent down slightly to press herself against it, the gasp she felt leave her lips was so breathy and quiet she was surprised she even heard it.

She felt Nick's face buried in the top of her hair and she was suddenly all too aware of the way they must've looked together. When she finally dared looking up into his eyes, she was meet with a gaze that scared her to death.

It was wrong. This whole thing was wrong of them. She needed to stop. "I-I have to go," she said hurriedly, turning around and practically running out of the dark room into the hallway and out the back door of the Hollywood club.

She stood flat against the back wall of the building; her arms outstretched behind her, palms pressed to the rough, cold stone.

On the dance floor Nick stood alone looking in the direction Miley had just run off to. _Fuck fuck fuck. _He thought. He knew he shouldn't have been holding her so closely like that. He wasn't a cheater. And he wouldn't be. The problem was that cheating with Miley didn't feel like cheating at all.

In all honesty he felt more like a cheater when he was with Delta than he ever could with Miley. It had taken him a while to begin to feel comfortable holding Delta in his arms, her body feeling wrong and unnatural in his.

He made his way through the crowded room into the men's bathroom on the other side of the building. He needed some quiet to process what had just happened.

As Miley got the fresh air she had been seeking, she heard the heavy club door open up to the outside and saw a figure walking towards her. _Great. _She thought, assuming it was some stupid Hollywood guy who had seen her walk out here all alone and was hoping she was drunk enough to take advantage of. But when the person walked closer towards her she could make out a girls face.

"Holy crap, thank god!" she said throwing her arms around her best friend Mandy. "I so needed to see you right now."

"Yeah wanna explain what the fuck that was with Nick back there?" Mandy asked.

"I honestly don't even know. One minute we're just dancing, you know, in a friendly way, and then the next I'm dry humping him in the middle of a birthday party."

"Wait wait, what? Who initiated it?"

"I don't know. I did, I guess. But he didn't help the situation much. He just kept pulling me closer and grabbing my waist tighter. And it felt… good." She admitted, looking up at Mandy, whose eyes were wide, eyebrows raised.

Mandy was one of the most talented people in the world when it came to reading and understanding Miley, so it was pretty clear to her just how messed up Miley was feeling. Being the older and more responsible of the two, Mandy didn't condone drinking away your problems. But at the moment she knew Miley just needed to forget about Nick before she did something she would regret later.

So she and her famous 18-year-old best friend walked back into the party, headed straight for the bar.

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><p><strong>So you're probably really confused and thinking I had dropped off the face of the earth. But I'm baaaaackkkk. Don't hate me for taking forever to post again. I don't have an excuse. Review and I'll fed-ex you a nice boy who will buy you jewelry and open the car door for you. (And post the second chapter)<strong>


	2. The Morning After

Sorry about the wait... here's chapter 2!

July 3, 2011 12:07 PM

"Oh it's awake...How is it feeling?" he said, walking into the dark bedroom.

"It?"

"I mean last night you seemed more like party animal than girl so I can't be sure."

"You are such a loser."

"I also brought you coffee and Advil"

"You beautiful human being." she sat up in bed, taking the hot coffee mug into her hands and swallowing the two white pills. Nick couldn't help but notice how Miley looked adorably sexy in her black dress from last night, hair tousled and eyeliner smudged a bit from sleep. "Thank you" she said softly putting the mug on her nightstand and snuggling back into her bed.

_Last night after five drinks too many, Miley re-connected with Nick at the party. "Nickyyy! There you are I've been looking all over this fucking club for you and here you are just sitting in a chair!" This sent Miley into unexplained hysterical laughter. "I mean I've been looking everywhere, and you're just not moving. You've been here all along. And I've been looking and not finding you! That's so ironic, right?" _

_Oh Jesus, Nick thought. Mandy, who was currently holding her friend up, slightly intoxicated herself, sent Nick an apologetic look. "Sorry, I didn't know what to do. She wouldn't shut up about you," she laughed. Nick was pretty sure that sober Mandy wouldn't have offered up this last piece of information about her best friend._

_When Miley tried to walk around him to sit on the comfortable looking sofa, she fell on top of him. A new fit of laughter ensued. "Mmm, you're still comfy, baby." She giggled._

_Nick knew it was about time to end the night. "What do you say I take you home? We can get shakes and watch one of you're favorites, alright?" He knew she'd never make it home awake but he needed some kind of bribe to get Miley out of here. _

"_No!" she screeched, putting her arms around his neck so that he could hold her bridal style. "No I want to stay with you. Please don't leave me alone. Please not again." _

_His heart broke. _

"_Okay, alright we'll go to my house and you can sleep in my bed with me." _

"_Okay." She said quietly against his neck after thinking a moment. _

_After Nick made sure Mandy had a ride home, he carried Miley out the back of the club and got them both into one of the many big black escalades waiting to take them away. The whole car ride back Nick could faintly hear Miley murmuring, "please don't leave me" against his neck._

"So I'm guess that would be a 'not-too-hot' on the how you're feeling?"

"Correct."

"Well...considering how much you drank last night I'm not surprised."

"On the upside it's comforting to know that I can always just kill myself."

"Don't even joke about that...I don't know what I would do if I ever lost you."

"Well you already have.." she said pushing her head further into the pillow.

"Why do you say things like that, Miley?"

"Because it's true!" she said forcefully. "Nick you have a girlfriend"

"And you have a boyfriend" he shot back.

She turned over so she was now lying on her back, looking up at the ceiling, her arms holding the sheet up by her chest. "It's not the same," she said softly.

"Why? Because I deserve to be miserable and alone while you get to move on with new guys all the time?"

"No... Maybe. I don't know. Because I always have a boyfriend. I'm not as good as you with the solitary confinement in my head thing. I just need someone to take away the-... I need a distraction. From you."

"And why would you need that? You've made it clear you moved on quite a while ago."

She paused for a moment, looking down at her small hands. She remembered the first time they linked with Nick's so many years ago. Miley knew it was stupid but she couldn't help but think the way they fit so perfectly was a sign that they were meant for each other. And now, five years later, she so desperately wanted that to be true.

But the difference between real life and Miley World is that things don't always work out perfectly in real life. And she had gotten everything she'd ever wanted. Well everything _else _she ever wanted anyway. And that could be enough. She had Liam. And her feelings for Nick were wrong.

"Look I know this is gonna sound stupid… like some lame breakup line or something, but I really think we should just spend a little time apart from each other," she managed to stutter out uncomfortably. Leave it to Nick to make Miley Cyrus feel awkward. She couldn't bring herself to look up at him until after she was finished speaking.

He didn't say anything for a while. He just stood there still holding the bottle of Advil and looking at her.

"Nick?" she questioned after a minute of silence. "Aren't you gonna say anything?"

"No." he said.

"No? …You don't have anything to say to me? At all?"

"That's not what I meant. I meant… No were not gonna 'take a break,' Miley."

She looked at him incredulously. "Um, yes we are I just said so."

"No were not."

"Nick, fuck this yes we are. I'm not talking to you anymore."

Nick laughed internally at how stubborn she was. At this point he knew it wasn't even an issue of Miley not wanting to talk to him, now she just wanted to get her way.

"Okay can I ask why?"

_Because if I keep hanging out with you I'm eventually going to fall in love with you again._

"Because it's not good! For either of us. We already know that we can't work. So why try and sabotage the relationships we're in now, too? It's just pointless." She said.

"You really believe we couldn't work together?"

Miley was ready to say yes until she looked at him, his eyes big and brown and full of regret. "I don't know. But I know that the last two times I've been with you, I've gotten my heart broken. And I'm not willing to let that happen a third time."

That one took Nick by surprise. He knew he had completely blown it in 2008, breaking up with her just weeks before her 16th birthday, when she was going through the most difficult time in her life; loosing one of her best friends Vanessa. He tried so hard to be everywhere and do everything for her, desperately trying to put his own life on hold, but it got to be impossible and too much for either of them to handle. And Miley screaming and sobbing, yelling how much she hated him to his face all time did nothing to help the situation. He knew she didn't mean it, and that she was just crazy with grief, but he couldn't stay with her considering the way they treated each other. That didn't stop either of them from blaming Nick for walking away when Miley needed him the most.

That time, Nick took the blame. But Georgia… Georgia he didn't understand. And he didn't know if he ever would. Either way, knowing he had broken Miley's heart twice hurt Nick. He couldn't bare the thought that she was ever suffering and knowing that _he_ was the source of her pain was even worse.

"I never meant to hurt you Miley." He said seriously. "I know that doesn't make it right, but it is true."

She knew the by way her insides melted and heat filled her all the way down to her toes at his words, that she needed to get away from him. She would never forgive herself for loosing the one person on earth that had never hurt her.

"I can't do this right now. I'm meeting Liam at one." She looked at the clock. It was now 12:45. She hurried out of bed, gathering her shoes and purse from the floor of Nick's pristine bedroom. "I have to go. …Please don't call me." She added, on the way out the door.

So, there you have it. I hope you liked it! A couple things to add: so first of all I know the break-up is a lot different than it was in real life (I'm guessing) but I wanted to make them a bit older so that the next chapter was more realistic. Also I noticed that I kept using song lyrics/titles so if you actually read this whole thing and found any, post it in a review and I'll send you the next chapter a day early. (double brownie points for finding the niley songs)

Also thank you SO much to my amazing reviewers; MileyCChickx, mermaidgirl1018, FirePrincess251, Tigger23, xImASmilerx, ifyouevercomebackx, too lame for a name, R'Canena yall get big sparkly gold stars next to your name! (If you want to be as cool as these kids you should review, too!)


	3. The Flashback

_Note the time/date!_

_June 12, 2009 10:56 PM_

"_Truth or dare?" said the sixteen-year-old boy to his ex-girlfriend as she lay on top of him on the sofa in the cozy living room of his hotel suite. _

"_Dare. Obviously." She responded. _

"_Why is it that you always choose dare?"_

"_It's easier."_

"_You'd rather lick the floor than tell me who your celebrity crush is?" _

"_Well first of all you already know it's Chris Martin but you'd never ask that anyway. It's just easier to do stuff than it is to talk about feelings sometimes… you know?"_

"_Only you would say that, Mi." _

"_So I am one of a kind," she said smiling up at him, her chin resting on his chest. _

"_That you are."_

"_Okay so let's go, Jonas. Let me hear your dare."_

"_Mmm I dare you to kiss me."_

_Miley lifted her head, pressing her lips directly on top of Nick's softly. "That was a stupid dare," she said her face hovering over his, eyes leveled with his own. "I was going to kiss you anyway, silly."_

"_Alright fine, you go."_

"_Truth or dare?"_

"_Truth."_

"_Typical. Okay tell me something."_

"_Mi, that's not a question."_

"_So? It doesn't have to be a question. Just tell me something I don't know."_

"_Well," he said, one hand resting on her butt, the other rubbing her back softly as she lay on him, looking him in the eye, "I love you." _

"_You do?"_

"_Yeah. I do."_

_Miley thought for a moment, looking at the boy who had made her happier than anyone else in the world. Unfortunately he was also the boy who had thrown her into the deepest depression she had ever known._

"_I love you too. I don't think I ever stopped."_

_Hearing those words come out of Miley's mouth made Nick the happiest he had been for the past year. Knowing that he would never really be alone, he'd always have her, at least the thought of her and the knowledge that she hadn't given up on them could be enough if it had to be._

"_Truth or dare?" she asked, more seriously now._

"_Dare." He said, eyebrow raised, knowing he was surprising her._

"_Make love to me." She said._

_He didn't respond at first. He didn't know what to say. "What?" _

"_I want to," she paused, finding the right words. "…Be with you in as many ways as possible." She finally said. "And I know it's confusing and I've been sending you mixed signals but I can't do this anymore. I can't keep pretending that I don't feel anything when I need you so much." _

"_Mi, don't get me wrong, obviously I want to. But are you sure? I don't want you to do this just because I said I love you. You have to feel the same way. And please don't ever think I said I love you because I thought this would happen, I would never try to pressure you into-"_

"_Nick relax, I know that's not why you said it. Believe me I could feel how surprised you were when I said I wanted to have sex," she said, teasing him. "I'm positive about this. I want you."_

"_But this isn't reversible. I mean we've done a lot but… not this."_

"_I know. I've always known I wanted my first time to be with you."_

_Nick looked at her, searching her eyes for any sign of hesitation. He knew her better than anybody, but that didn't mean she wasn't hard to read at times. She knew how to block people out of her emotions. All he saw in her was desire, love, and a little bit of fear. She was nervous. _

_He kissed her and felt her lips part, wanting him to be closer to her. Once he felt her lips on his again he couldn't stop kissing her. He learned at 14 that kissing Miley was one of the most amazing experiences he would ever have. He lost track of how long they spent intertwined, just kissing on the sofa, but when he finally looked away from her he noticed the dozen or so vanilla scented candles they had lit, the only lighting in the room, had melted to half their original size. _

"_You really want to do this with me, Miley?"_

"_More than anything in the world." She answered without hesitation. _

_Upon hearing this, he slowly lifted the racerback tanktop she had been wearing, taking a hint from the way that she raised her arms that she wanted it off. She was wearing a deep purple lace bra underneath that Nick saw for the first time that night. _

_Miley took note of the way her perfect gentleman couldn't help but stare at her newly acquired assets, his mouth falling slightly open._

"_I guess it's been a long time since you've seen me like this." She said, slightly awkwardly. "And I don't look like a 12 year old that weighs 70 pounds from being on tour anymore." _

"_You look amazing. As always" he said, finally tearing his eyes off her chest._

"_Thanks," she blushed. "Now let me even the playing field."_

_He raised his arms as well, waiting for Miley to remove his gray t-shirt. She lifted her hips, still straddling his waist as she pulled the shirt up and over his head. His arms being significantly longer than hers, it was a bit difficult for her to reach the top of his fingers and in the process she had pressed her chest right in front of Nick's face. He then took the liberty of quickly unfastening the clasp of Miley's strapless bra with one hand and throwing it to the ground. So when she finally figured out why Nick kept raising his other arm higher, keeping her from taking his shirt off, she gave him a well-earned slap on the shoulder. _

"_Nick!"_

"_No don't move, that was really quite pleasant."_

"_Yeah I bet it was you perv."_

"_You can't go up two cup sizes and expect me not to want to spend some time re-exploring you." He said, sounding like a five year old who just got his new bike taken away on Christmas morning._

"_Re-exploring?" she laughed._

"_Well you can explore me all you'd like, missy."_

"_Fine." She said, taking off his belt and blue jeans. She got them down to his knees and then got stuck. "Can you help?" _

_He kicked the jeans off with his feet and grabbed Miley by the waist, pulling her back up to his level. He kissed her slowly, feeling her lower lip between his own as she slowly pulled back. "Well now," he started, whispering in her ear, "this isn't fair because I'm only wearing boxers and you have on shorts."_

_She giggled, taking the hint, and pulled her shorts and underwear off in seconds. She lay back down on him, sitting directly on his erection, her nipples pressed against his chest, sending waves of what felt like adrenaline pumping through his body. _

"_Better?" she asked seriously, her voice low and raspy. _

"_Ye-" he stared, until his voice cracked. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Yeah." _

_She pressed her lips sensually against his, falling in love with him all over again. "I've missed that so much," she said, pulling away._

"_Me too, babe. I've missed every part of you."_

_Nick ran his hands up her bare back and through her hair, pressing her head back down to kiss him again. This time is was rougher, more heated and urgent. When Miley moved her body upwards slightly he took the opportunity to feel her breasts, taking quite an interest in them, massaging them as if they were made of gold._

_While Nick was enjoying her chest, she kissed his softly with open mouthed kisses as far down as she could reach. When she felt Nick's mouth sucking gently on her nipple, she couldn't take it anymore. _

"_Oh" she breathed out. "That feels so good." _

"_I could make it better" he suggested cockily. _

_Reaching his hands down to her thighs he began rubbing the area just below her core. When she urged him, he moved higher, sticking a finger, then two inside of her. He slowly moved them in and out, not entirely sure of what he was doing. He arched his fingers, still moving them back and forth until he could feel her wetness surrounding them. _

"_You really are ready for this" he said._

"_You have no idea" she replied, holding his head in her hands, leaning down to kiss him again. He pulled away after a few moments, wanting her to be comfortable. _

"_Should we move this into my room? It might be easier. Less…" he trailed off._

"_Awkward." She agreed._

_He carried her into the bedroom, holding onto the backs of her thighs and dropping her onto the bed when he reached it. _

_He climbed on top of her, holding onto her shoulder and looking into her blue eyes._

"_You ready?"_

_Their first time was awkward; there was no denying it. And even though pushing into Miley for the first time ever was the greatest feeling he'd ever had, Nick still felt just as uncomfortable explaining to her how he had to take a little time out while continuing to pleasure her in order for her to finish before he did. He apologized for hurting her one too many times and she had a panic attack half way through and had to have Nick calm her down before they could continue. But it was okay. It wasn't flawless, but in some strange way, it was perfect. And when Nick pulled out for the last time that night, he kissed the entire surface of Miley's body while professing his love to her, sending her into a giggling fit, and then pulling him close before drifting off to sleep, completely content._

_The next morning Miley's cell phone alarm went off at 4:35 seeing as she had to be at work by 5 am. Julianne was determined to shoot one of Miley and Liam's scenes with the sunrise directly behind them, even if that meant waking up when it was still dark out. She looked over at the handsome boy laying next to her, thinking of how adorable he looked with his curly hair all messed up from sleep. Or maybe from lack of sleep come to think of it… _

_She kept replaying last night's events in her mind, feeling Nick inside her, being that close to another person for the first time in her life. It made her feel special. He made her feel special. She thought about his strong, muscular arms around the small of her back, wrapping her up as he dove in and out of her. And the way he'd brought her to a point where nothing made sense, only his name and a few other incoherent phrases could pass through her lips, loudly and repeatedly. _

_Meanwhile Nick had woken up in a hotel room tired and alone, left to wonder where Miley had gone and how she was feeling. He waited in the room for twenty minutes, thinking she might have gone to get them breakfast or something. When he tried her cell for the fourth time with no response he decided to go see where the hell she was. He took a quick shower, changing into kaki shorts and a black t-shirt and headed for Miley's house in Georgia. _

"_You know I think she's down at the beach with Liam" Tish said absentmindedly when Nick asked her where her daughter was. "Something about the sunrise. You're more than welcome to hang out here until she gets back, sweetie." She said. "When does your flight leave for LA?"_

_So she ditched me in bed to go watch the sunrise with her co-star… Nick thought. Great._

"_Two hours. That's kind of why I was looking for her… I wanted to see her before I left. You know, to say goodbye and everything."_

"_Well I'll definitely tell her you came by if you want." She paused, looking at the boy who had stolen her daughter's heart so many years ago. "Did anything happen with yall while you were here, Nick?" she asked, hoping she wasn't crossing the line. _

"_What? No, no not at all I just um" he stuttered, panicked at the thought of being the one to tell Miley's mom they had sex. "You know what, just forget I said anything" he said lightly, "I gotta get going anyway but thank you so much for having me here Ms. Cyrus I really had a great time with your family." That was an understatement._

"_Nick it's Tish for the millionth time. And you're so welcome, hun you know you're always a part of this family." She smiled sweetly, hugging him tightly and walking him out to the black suburban that would take him to the airport._

_When Miley finally did get off of work, she went directly back to the hotel where she'd spent the night with Nick. She'd been dying to call him all morning but she stupidly forgot to take her cell out of her loose skirt pocket and when she and Liam had been "frolicking" in the ocean that morning, the phone had fallen in and broken. To make things worse she couldn't even retrieve her sim card from the back of it, so all her contacts were gone and she'd have to get a new number. But she didn't care. Right now all she could think about was Nick. And his hands. And his tongue._

_She opened the door to his suite using the key card she'd taken earlier that morning but found the rooms completely empty. The bed was made, Nick's suitcases were gone, there was no trace of either of them ever being there. It was like last night never happened. She reached for her phone to call him but stopped herself, realizing she didn't have one. She sat down on the floor of the empty hotel room, drawing her knees into her chest and sobbed for two hours straight, feeling tired, used, and alone._

_The weeks passed by quickly after that, each one bringing the promise of a change between them, but the longer you wait, the harder it gets, and eventually the hope that was buried in each of them dulled. _

_Nick was busy on tour, moving to a different city every night and meeting millions of girls who threw themselves at him on a daily basis. He tried not to think about her; to accept that this was what he deserved for leaving her the first time. _

_Miley did the same, burying herself in The Last Song, trying to fully understand her role. She spent most of her nights with Liam, in the name of "getting into character." Whether or not she was using him to fill the emptiness Nick left in her was a question she tried to avoid. _

_Life was getting back to normal, or as close to normal as she could get considering her heart was broken, and she had almost gotten the stabbing feeling in her stomach she'd had since he left down to just a dull pain when she realized something was terribly wrong. _

_She literally ran into town to the Tybee convenience store, thanking god she wasn't in LA. She didn't know which kind was the best, so she bought every brand they had, asking the cashier to double-bag them and ran out of the store, clutching her purchase to her chest._

_She sat in the bathroom for the longest fifteen minutes of her life, allowing herself for the first time in four weeks to think of Nick. When the kitchen timer she'd stolen went off, she took in a deep breath, telling herself she could deal with whatever results she found._

_Picking the pregnancy test up off the counter, her heart sunk. Positive._

_Sorry it's been like two weeks I don't know why this chapter was SO effing difficult for me to write! Anyway I hope it was worth the wait! This chap should clear a few things up. It's also important to check the date at the top of the chapter from now on to avoid any confusion. Please review for the next chapter! I love you beautiful readers! _


	4. The House Party

****I'm sorry it's taken me so long! I've been distracted and unmotivated but I'm back! I hope you haven't forgotten about this story!

**July 10, 2011 5:45 pm**

"…so please call me back. I just really… please, Mi. Call me." He finished. Miley sat in the drivers seat listening to her voicemail messages on speaker. This was the third message from Nick this week, not to mention the countless texts he sent her. She knew ignoring Nick was the only way to keep her from feeling anything for him again but she felt so guilty hearing the desperation in his voice.

She picked up the phone but instead of calling her boyfriend like she knew she should have, she dialed Nick's number. He answered on the first ring.

"Miley?" he asked, excitedly.

"Hi."

"How have you been?" He asked. He wanted to ask if she'd gotten his messages, eager to hear what she had to say, but he knew that would make her feel guilty and uncomfortable and he didn't want to scare her off. He knew what a big step it was for her to just return his phone call.

"Fine." She said. "I've been really good." She lied, but sounded more confident.

"Good. I'm really glad to hear that. I really wanna see you, Mi. Is there any way we can meet sometime?" he said, casually, trying not to make it a big deal.

She thought for a minute. "I don't know…. I mean I have a lot going on right now. It's just not the best time."

"Miley." He said flatly, knowing it was just an excuse.

"Okay fine. I mean, I am busy but maybe I'm a little nervous to see you again. And you can't blame me for that."

"Of course I don't blame you. I understand what you're feeling right now. It's exactly what I'm feeling. I just want us to talk. Please."

She waited a long time, sitting in her car in the parking lot of IKEA, contemplating whether or not to see the boy she loved. "I can't see you." She finally said. "We've both moved on. There's no point in our friendship, Nick. Someone always gets hurt." And with that, she was gone.

She knew it was harsh, but sometimes that's what Nick needed. He was so nice to her, always giving her the benefit of the doubt and believing what they had was like magic. Yes she realized these were great things to have in a boyfriend but that was just the problem. He wasn't her boyfriend. In fact, her boyfriend was waiting for her at her almost-completed new home, cooking her dinner.

She got out of the car and went into IKEA, getting so lost in pillows and fold-up furniture and candlesticks and placemats that when she emerged from the store an hour later, she was on a shopping high. On the way home, she sent a text that she knew she might regret later.

_I'm having a house warming party on Sunday. We can talk then…Bring your Aussie and I'll bring mine._

July 11, 2011 9:14 am

Miley woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Literally. When she opened her eyes, her face was just inches away from the bedside table. Whenever Liam slept over, which was pretty much every night since she'd moved in, she slept in his arms. And then she would wake up in his arms. But now he was all the way on the other side of her king sized bed. She rolled over and put his strong muscular arms around her lower back, nuzzling up close to him and kissing him lightly on the nose.

"Wakey, wakey," she whispered quietly. He surprised her by kissing her on the lips before even opening his eyes. When they parted, she have him a questioning look. "I've been awake for a while." He explained. "I had to let Mate out."

She smiled, thinking about how cute Liam was with their new dog. "Why were you so far away, babe? Bad dream?"

"Um... Yeah, probably. I just haven't been feeling well lately. I don't know."

"Feeling well how? Physically? Are you sick?"

"No, no I'm fine I'm just tired that's all. I'll just hit up coffee bean on the way to work no big deal" she tried to reassure him. She was the one that needed reassuring though. It was no coincidence that she spent two hours trying to fall asleep last night, thinking about her ex-boyfriend while her current one slept soundly next to her, and then woke up _not_ in his arms for the first time since they'd starting sleeping together. Nick was getting to her. And she couldn't stop it. Maybe he was right. Maybe things would be better after they talked on Sunday.

"Well I can think of something that will wake you up better than coffee," he said, grabbing her boy-short covered butt and pulling her on top of him.

Half an hour later, Miley had to fake her orgasm just to get Liam to stop so that she could get to work on time. She'd never had to do that before.

* * *

><p><strong>July 11, 2011 7:34 pm<strong>

Nick's POV

I looked at the calendar on my phone while I was sitting at dinner with Delta, trying to think of the best way to ask her about Miley's party. She's not the jealous type, in fact she's probably the most easy-going girl I've ever been with, but I didn't want to seem over-eager.

The waiter came with out drinks and there was a lull in the conversation.

"So Miley just moved into a new house and tomorrow she's having everyone over for a barbeque type thing. She wants us to come and see it and I don't have anything else going on if you want to go." I said, watching her face while I spoke. After being with Miley for so long I'd gotten really good at reading people.

"Would you like to go?" she asked in her adorable accent.

_More than anything. _I thought. "I'll do whatever you feel like. It'd be nice to see all my friends but if you're not up for it, it's not a big thing."

"No I'd like to meet her. I think it would be nice! Plus I haven't met all of your friends so this is a perfect opportunity." She said smiling at me.

"Okay great! I'll pick you up around 7 then," I said, a little too excitedly.

I couldn't help but spend the rest of the night thinking about how I now had an excuse to start a conversation with Miley. I'd wait until I got home to text her so that I'd be able to give her my full attention. Yes I realized I was being completely ridiculous and kind of an ass but I wanted nothing more in the world than to be in Miley's life again.

* * *

><p><strong>July 12, 2011 8:17 pm<strong>

Nick arrived, Aussie in tow, as requested, at Miley's house around 8, and the party was already in full swing. Since she had an amazing backyard, there were tons of people outside on hammocks and chaise-lounges, some had been there since 3 and were swimming and drinking cold beer under the hot California sun. There were boys in tight pants and band t-shirts smoking cigarettes, and girls in short shorts with tan skin and tank tops and long messy extensions. Some of the guys, Miley's friends who Nick didn't know, were making burgers and hot dogs and corn on the cob for everyone on the grill. On the patio, there was a claw-footed bathtub filled with beer and mike's hard lemonade. Inside the house, Nick and Delta were greeted with more people hanging around and having a good time, talking in groups, and more alcohol. There was a long table that was half the length of the room they were in, filled completely with big bottles of alcohol and red solo cups. Numerous people got up and said hi to him as he walked through the house, and he talked to a few of his friends for a couple minutes, introducing Delta to them as they passed. When they turned the corner, they were in Miley's spacious kitchen. He had to admit the house was amazing. There were hard wood floors and high ceilings in every room, and the whole house was decorated perfectly to fit Miley's style. It was laid-back but trendy and polished, and had a bit of a bohemian feel to it.

Nick saw her sitting on the huge window seat that overlooked the backyard talking to a girl with a tattoo on the inside of her arm and long black hair that reached halfway down her back. Liam was only feet away, standing with a couple other people with one hand holding a beer, the other on the kitchen counter, laughing at a story someone just told.

Miley looked incredible. She was so comfortable and relaxed, a side of her Nick hadn't seen in forever. She was wearing light blue denim short shorts, which were ripped and torn in random places, and a nice white tank top that showed off her incredibly tan skin and gorgeous brown hair.

Delta squeezed Nick's hand in hers as she watched him zone out. "Are you alright?" she asked.

"Yeah, sorry just a lot of people I haven't seen in a while" he replied.

"Is that Miley? Do you want to say hello?"

"Uh, yeah… I'll introduce you."

_Oh, God,_ he thought. _Here we go…_

He approached her slowly, not wanting to interrupt her conversation. When she saw him, her face displayed mixed reactions. She smiled and started to get up until she saw Delta. She hesitated for a moment, not knowing quite how to react.

Seeing her get up, Nick led Delta over to where Miley was now standing and went to hug her. He had seen the split-second of true emotion in Miley's eyes before she had the opportunity to put on a big smile and loudly greet them, so he knew she was a little uncomfortable and nervous.

"Hi!" she exclaimed, hugging him.

"Hey, Mi," he said, then worried for a moment whether or not he should be calling her that in front of his girlfriend. They both turned to Delta but before he had the opportunity to introduce her officially, Miley opened her arms and hugged her.

"You're Delta, right?" she said as she hugged her.

"I am, nice to meet you!" Delta said, genuinely.

"You too! I'm Miley," she said, as if everyone in the world didn't already know her name. "This is Kat," said Miley, motioning next to her at the girl who was now clutching a red bull and picking at her black nail polish.

"Hey," Kat said in a scratchy voice, smiling for a moment before looking back at her nails.

There was a bit of uncomfortable silence where no one knew who would say something next. It was Miley, obviously. "I'm so glad yall could make it I didn't know if you'd both be in town," she said warmly. She was actually being really welcoming to Delta, Nick thought.

"Well thanks for hosting us, you're house is really very lovely" Delta said, smiling.

Miley paused for a moment, as if trying to determine whether or not Delta was mocking her or being serious. She decided she was being serious and was actually that nice of a person… shit.

"I'm gonna go outside, see you out there love," Kat said to Miley, exiting the kitchen.

With the huge cushioned window seat available Miley told her guests to sit down and looked over her shoulder to her boyfriend. "Babe," she called out loudly, making eye contact with Liam and watching him excuse himself from his group of friends. He walked over and put an arm around her back, kissing her quickly and looking into her eyes the way sickeningly cute couples did when they were in love. Then he looked away and extended his hand to Nick, who promptly stood up, as did his girlfriend. "I'm Liam. Nice to meet you man," he said, as he shook Nick's hand.

"Nick, and yeah you too," Nick said back in a friendly tone of voice.

Liam introduced himself to Delta as well and then all four sat down. Nick and Delta sat next to each other with no contact other than the hand that Delta hooked around Nick's elbow. Liam and Miley sat across from them with Liam's hand resting almost in between Miley's crossed legs. She smiled over at him when she felt his hands on her but made no move to touch him in any way.

No one said anything right away, feeling slightly awkward.

"So where are you from?" Delta asked, looking at Liam, obviously recognizing they were both from Australia.

"Phillip's Island." He replied.

"Really? I've got family there."

"Oh yeah? Where about?"

As they continued discussing, Nick and Miley kept making eye contact and then looking away from each other uncomfortably. They both knew there was so much to be said between them. They needed to be alone.

"Okay well why don't I give you a tour of the house and these two can keep talking about vegemite and koala bears and riding around on kangaroos and stuff." Miley said jokingly.

"Miley you know you can't actually ride around on a kangaroo babe, we've talked about this" Liam said.

"Whatever, I still want to do it." She replied, causing them all to laugh. She kissed him quickly, perhaps because she felt guilty about wanting to spend time alone with Nick while Liam had no idea how she felt and trusted her more than anything…

As they walked away Miley looked beside her at her ex boyfriend. For some reason she felt nervous, walking alone with him where everyone could see them.

"So that was the kitchen. Over here is the living room," she said pointing to a big open room that was connected to the one they were just in. "Here, I'll show you the upstairs," she said, making her way over to the staircase.

Nick chuckled at how she was making excuses for herself, probably to ease the guilt she felt. When they reached the second floor, Miley led them down a long hallway and opened to sliding doors. It was her bedroom. It was huge and filled with candles all over the place, some on the ground, lit and unlit and her bed was only a foot or two off the ground. It was so Miley. She closed the sliding doors back up, closing them off from the rest of the house and sat down on a big brown leather sofa with a dozen pillows resting on it, all of different colors and sizes. He sat down next to her and took another look around the room.

"It's really nice, Mi."

"Thanks."

"Mhm."

There was a long pause, and neither of them knew what to say.

"So, um did you wanna talk to me about something?" she asked politely.

He laughed openly. "Miley you don't have to do that. Not in front of me. I know you're pissed and you have a million things going on in your head right now.

"I'm no-" she interjected, but he cut her off.

"I wanna know what you're really thinking. It's okay to be mad and hurt my feelings. Just talk to me."

"Okay, fine. You want to know what I'm thinking? I'm thinking you suck. And I'm thinking what you're trying to do to me and Liam and your _girlfriend _is awful and disgusting and I resent you for it." She spat.

"But you also resent Liam and my girlfriend because you want the same things I do and you're mad at yourself for getting into this mess because now you have to deal with the fact that you've never been truly happy with him and you're scared that you're going to go on living your life not really getting what you want."

She stood up, he followed.

"How _dare _you."

"Look me in the eye and say it's not true"

She looked him square on, "it's not true."

"You're lying."

She began to walk away but he chased her. "I know you, Miley, I can tell when you're faking it"

She spun around, "no, you know what? You can't tell shit, Nick because I _am_ happy." She looked beside her and saw the hamper, reaching in and pulling out a pair of boxers. "See these? They go through my washing machine every week and they're obviously not mine. And this?" she said, pulling out a gray and blue t-shirt. "It's Liam's too. I sleep in it almost every night. That is, when I'm even wearing anything."

"So what?"

"So this is my life. This is who I am now. It may hurt you to know that I'm not yours anymore but that's just the way things are now," she said, dropping the clothes back in the hamper beginning to walk away. He grabbed her by the waist and turned her around.

"But they don't have to be this way," he said softly. She was silent for a moment, looking down. She could feel his eyes on her. "Do you want them to be this way?" she looked up, seeing his hopeful eyes and handsome face and felt butterflies in her stomach for a reason she couldn't quite figure out. She was confused and scared.

"Nick," she said desperately putting her arms on his, her hands resting behind his neck, her forehead on his chest.

He buried his face in her hair, smelling her. He felt her hands become restless behind his neck, clawing at his shirt, wanting something to hold onto. He tightened his grasp around her waist, trying to make her feel safe.

He didn't know how long they were up there but after a couple moments he felt her start to cry. He could feel the dampness through his shirt on his chest. He held her closer to him, rubbing her lower back with his palm.

"I'm here. I know… I'm here."

That was kinda rough... But still please review! Let me know what you're thinking. I'll try to update the next chapter as soon as possible. Love, T


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